We knew we hit the renewable resource jackpot when we stumbled upon this quirky and corky home in Northern <a href="http://inhabitat.com/green-roofed-sports-pavillion-opens-in-portugal/" target="_blank">Portugal</a>, whose facade is almost completely covered with cork blocks. Like, cork you could pin your grocery list to. We dig it - <a href="http://inhabitat.com/quirky-and-comfy-stackable-stools-made-from-cork/" target="_blank">cork</a> is a renewable resource, it's impermeable, heck it's even buoyant, so it actually makes a lot of sense to use it as a cladding material for a house. Although, in most parts of the world, using this much cork would probably put you on notice, but since it's located in Portugal, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cork_%28material%29" target="_blank">harvester of 50% of the world's cork material</a>, we'll let it slide since it's sourced locally.

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Cork House

The Cork House is a simple, rectangular block with a pitched roof, and is clad almost completely with cork blocks, except for the windows and corrugated metal covers over the garage.

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Cork House

The home's owners hired Arquitectos Anónimos ® to design and build a home that would be private from the surrounding neighbors in Esposende.

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Cork House

Built into the hillside, the six-room home has two entrances - one on the ground floor and another on the first.

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Cork House

The dining, living and kitchen are on the first floor and a lofted group of bedrooms are located on the second.

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Cork House

As it would seem, the client was looking for something a little out of the ordinary, private and low-cost.

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Cork House

Numerous windows on the East side collect the morning sun, which is filtered through the aluminum shutters.

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Cork House

One window on the South side provides views of the neighborhood and the garage is covered in corrugated metal. A few shaded windows on the West side keep the home from overheating in the afternoon.

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Cork House

Inside, the home is minimally furnished and simply decorated, giving off more of an office-like environment than a cozy home.

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Cork House

The aluminum shades on the exterior are movable and filter the incoming light from being too strong.

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Cork House

Cork is certainly an unusual material to be used as a cladding, but at the same time also makes sense.

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Cork House

With it being such a common material in Portugal, it is probably far less expensive than here in the US.

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Cork House

Installed correctly over thermal and water barriers, it should effectively keep the rain out and even provide an extra layer of insulation.

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Cork House

The home was completed in 2007 and is apparently still holding up quite well.

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Cork House

We knew we hit the renewable resource jackpot when we stumbled upon this quirky and corky home in Northern Portugal, whose facade is almost completely covered with cork blocks. Like, cork you could pin your grocery list to. We dig it - cork is a renewable resource, it's impermeable, heck it's even buoyant, so it actually makes a lot of sense to use it as a cladding material for a house. Although, in most parts of the world, using this much cork would probably put you on notice, but since it's located in Portugal, harvester of 50% of the world's cork material, we'll let it slide since it's sourced locally.